Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for forming an ultrasound beam based on a common grouping pattern

摘要

A 2D array transducer (10) is separated into a plurality of sub-arrays. Four representative sub-arrays SA1 to SA4 are shown in an enlarged manner. In addition, the 2D array transducer (10) is segmented into a plurality of transducer regions. Four regions of (I)-(IV) segmented by dot-and-chain lines represent four transducer regions. A grouping process is executed for each sub-array to group the plurality of transducer elements belonging to the sub-array into a plurality of element groups. In this process, for each transducer region, a common grouping pattern is set for the plurality of sub-arrays belonging to the transducer region. For example, because sub-arrays SA1 and SA2 belong to the same transducer region (IV), a common grouping pattern is set for the sub-arrays SA1 and SA2.

主权项

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:
an array transducer comprising a plurality of transducer elements; a grouping processor which divides the array transducer into a plurality of sub-arrays and which groups, for each sub-array, a plurality of transducer elements belonging to the sub-array into a plurality of element groups; a controller which sets a grouping pattern defining a plurality of transducer elements to be grouped into a same element group; and a beam-forming unit which forms an ultrasound beam using a plurality of element groups grouped for each sub-array over the plurality of sub-arrays, wherein the array transducer is segmented into a plurality of transducer regions, for each of the transducer regions, the controller is configured to set a common grouping pattern for those of the plurality of sub-arrays belonging to each of the segmented transducer regions, and the controller is configured to set the common grouping pattern for each transducer region by setting a virtual infinity focus direction for each of the plurality of transducer regions based on an ideal focus position of an ultrasound beam, by setting, for each transducer region, a delay equivalence line which is a straight line orthogonal to the infinity focus direction, and by grouping a plurality of transducer elements arranged along the delay equivalence line into the same element group.